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Hi Friend and welcome to our Spring 2021 edition of "Secret Women's Business".
It's no secret that the past 2 years have been challenging for us all but I remain positive and hold on very closely to the quote by Abraham Lincoln 'And this, too, shall pass away'.
2019 was really the last year that we could say was 'normal' for GOT as in 2020 we had 0 tours and in 2021 we had 1 tour successfully take place so I'm hopeful that 2022 will be at least 2 tours and who knows, maybe lots more!
We have some awesome Aussie experiences planned for you in 2022 as well as our trip to New Zealand which is due to depart in March, 2022.
Thanks for your ongoing support. Stay safe and keep your travel dreams alive.
“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list.”
– Susan Sontag ”
Happy travels, Judy. |
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| Way Out West 2022
Our first trip out west sold out very quickly and was a huge success! Bookings are now open for our 2022 trip and 11 places remain at the moment.
Departing Brisbane Ibis Airport Hotel on 19th April, 2022 and returning 5th May, this will be another wonderful Girls On Tour Oz Experience!!!
The cost includes 14 nights in twin share accommodation plus 1 night luxury ‘glamping’ at Mitchell Grass Retreat and 1 night ‘Shearers Quarters’ experience at Charlotte Plains Station. Join our outback adventure from Brisbane to Brisbane with stays in Biloela, Emerald, Longreach, Winton, Mitchell Grass Retreat, Eromanga, Cunnamulla, Charlotte Plains Station, Charleville and Roma.
We’ll also pass through many historic and important towns along the way including Blackwater, Eidsvold, Monto, Comet, Barcaldine, Quilpie, Stonehenge, Windorah, Eulo and so many more.
We will travel by private 38 seater coach and stay in motel accommodation, shearers quarters on a working sheep station and luxury glamping at the much sought after Mitchell Grass Retreat.
Full details now available on our website https://www.girlsontour.com.au/trip/2022-girls-on-tour-way-out-west-central-south-west-queensland/
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| | "Antarctica Day Flight and SE Qld Getaway"
Antarctica from the ground level may a long way off but you can still experience the beauty of Antarctica from above on-board the Qantas Dreamliner on 23 January 2022 as part of this unique tour package.
The itinerary will start and finish in Brisbane and the flight will depart from the Brisbane Domestic Terminal so no passport required! At this stage the tour will include the following:- Own choice of level of class on flight. Select and pay for Premium Business (sold out), Business (Sold out), premium economy (limited available), economy no wing, economy wing, economy limited view etc., All costs will be provided once tour is packaged and ready for release.
- 2 nights accommodation in Brisbane, 1 night before the flight and 1 night after the flight to Antarctica.
- 2 nights accommodation at Sea World Resort including entry to the theme park to visit the penguin encounter which houses both Gentoo and King Penguins and a night out at "The Australian Outback Spectacular Show".
- 3 nights accommodation at O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat including all tours, meals and activities as shown on final itinerary.
- 1 night accommodation in Brisbane and farewell dinner.
This 9 day tour is from 16th January to 24th January, 2022. See our website for details. As usual this tour will have a maximum group size of 16 travellers including your GOT escort, me!!
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| | The Top End
If Uluru, Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and the national parks of The Northern Territory are on your bucket list then this tour is for you. Only 6 places remain at the moment on our next NT Top End trip departing 23rd July, 2022.
Our first tour to this region in 2019 was awesome and I look forward to offering it once again. We will start in Alice Springs and finish in Darwin and will include Kakadu, Litchfield National Park, Katherine Gorge, Eastern and Western MacDonnell Ranges and more. Places are selling fast!
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| | On The Trail of Giants
Bring out the paleontologist in you and enjoy a unique experience of a full day dinosaur dig in the field and a full day of fossil preparation in the Eromanga Natural History Museum lab on this exceptional tour. From Winton we will explore both Lark Quarry and Age of Dinosaurs.
Join our 17 day outback adventure from Brisbane to Brisbane with stays in St George, working sheep station Charlotte Plains Station, Cunnamulla, Winton, Longreach, Tambo, Charleville, Roma and Toowoomba with 3 nights at the 4 Star, ‘Cooper’s Country Lodge’ at Eromanga and experience ‘Dinosaurs – The Grand Tour’ including a guided tour of the Eromanga Natural History Museum. We’ll also pass through many historic and important towns along the way including Barcaldine, Blackall, Goondiwindi, Windorah, Eulo and so many more.
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| | New Zealand - Ultimate South Island Escape - departing 20th March, 2022
This tour is scheduled to depart on 20th March, 2022 for 12 days on the Ultimate South Island Escape tour. Our tour will include airfares, taxes, transfers in NZ, Ultimate 20 seat coach travel in a full size coach with luxury leather reclining seats, 4.5 star accommodation, most meals, sightseeing and attractions, rail journey on the TranzAlpine railway, one of the great train journeys of the world and cruises on Lake Wakatipu and Milford Sound.
With 2 or more night stays in Christchurch, Queenstown, Te Anau and Dunedin this beautiful itinerary will showcase New Zealand's dramatic South Island. Price and detailed itinerary are now released on our website and bookings are open!! Limited places remain!
https://www.girlsontour.com.au/trip/2021-new-zealand-ultimate-south-island-escape/
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| | "Wild Alaska and The Yukon" All going well, in August 2022 we'll go in search of the Northern Lights and Orcas as we head North to Alaska!
From the glaciers to the gold rush this will be an exciting trip not to be missed. The itinerary includes Denali National Park, Prince William Sound, Fairbanks, Anchorage and Yukon Territory. Departing 26th August, 2022 for 25 days. Limited places left! |
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| Coming to Brisbane -
Van Gogh Alive
You may not be able to travel to Carrières de Lumières in Les Baux-De-Provence in France, but you can see this multi-sensory experience in Brisbane and around Australia in 2021. Brisbane season opens 29 October.
Some of my past travellers have seen it in Sydney and loved it and I have been fortunate enough to see a display from The Masters in France in the quarry as seen in this image above and it was mesmerising. https://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=VGATOUR21
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| | Why do I need travel insurance if I'm only travelling in Australia?
Whilst Medicare and private health, if you have it, may cover most of your medical bills in Australia, they will not cover other events such as damage or theft to you belongings or for amendment or cancellation or other mishaps than can invariably happen.
CoverMore is one of the well known travel insurance providers and they have this to say on their website##:
Do I Need Domestic Travel Insurance in Australia?
There are always risks when you travel even on domestic trips. Incidents can happen as easily in Sydney as they can in Singapore, your luggage can become delayed or lost on a flight to Darwin just as they can on a flight to Dublin, and if your child becomes unwell and you need to cancel your trip, it doesn’t matter if you were travelling to Brisbane or to Barcelona.
Domestic travel insurance for Australian trips can help protect you from unexpected mishaps and events outside of your control ruining your trip – and your finances.
While domestic travel insurance does not cover medical expenses in Australia, it provides cover for several other important benefits.
Think you can risk travelling in Australia without travel insurance? Here are three claim stories from real-life Cover-More customers who needed the protection of their domestic policy:
A customer was diagnosed with skin cancer and had to cancel their entire family trip. Amendment and Cancellation claim value: $20,000
A customer’s rental car was written off after a third-party collision.Rental Car Insurance Excess claim value: $4,000
An airline lost a customer’s suitcase, and the items were not recoverable.Luggage claim value: $2,500
Our domestic and international plans provide cover for several unforeseeable amendment and cancellation costs relating to COVID-19 if you have added our cancellation cover to your policy.
https://www.covermore.com.au/travel-insurance/benefits/covid-19
We will not pay for any claims arising from or caused by COVID-19 if:
you incur costs or expenses due to mandatory quarantine or isolation orders required to cross a border, such as a border between states, countries, or regions.
the government bans travel before or during your trip, such as: “Do Not Travel” travel warnings; government directed border closures; or mandatory quarantine or self-isolation requirements related to cross area, border, region, or territory travel. (from Covermore website)
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One of our suppliers, Heritage Tours, captures it in a nutshell in their FAQ's "Most claims arise from personal or close-family illness before holiday departure, resulting in cancellation charges."
##I am not affiliated with CoverMore, this is purely a reference direct from their website for your information as an indicative example. |
| | Red light, Green light!
None of us really know yet what international airports and travel will be like once international borders re-open however a recent article published in Executive Traveller has indicated that international airports may be divided into red zones and green zones.
Australians returning from overseas will be corralled into separate green zones and red zones at the nation's international airports, depending on the federal government's 'Covid risk rating' of the country they're arriving from. The government will also nominate 'green zone routes' – similar to the New Zealand travel bubble and Singapore's Vaccinated Travel Lane scheme – which will be subject to "eased Covid- 19 border restrictions".
https://www.executivetraveller.com/news/australian-airports-to-be-divided-into-green-zones-and-red-zones?fbclid=IwAR1u_CaZ69hhjKctbfpaG8WRd_eG4nS-FgMCrkLdMMGoO74w3Bqbz1Aaoc8
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| | Lucky 7!
Australia plans to open the international border earlier than expected.
The vaccine passports are almost ready and the international border is expected to open from December. Qantas and Fiji Airlines say they’re ready to fly as soon as they get the green light.
But where can Australians actually go? Singapore, Canada, Fiji, Japan, New Caledonia, USA, Indonesia are first off the rank but there will be plenty of hoops to jump through.
https://www.signatureluxurytravel.com.au/travel-from-australia-destinations/?
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| | Keeping the dream alive!
Something to look forward to checking out when next you're in UK.
Passengers can travel between London and Edinburgh for under £15—and arrive at their destination with minimal carbon footprint—when a new low-cost electric rail service launches in the UK next month.
Called Lumo, the rail service is taking on budget airlines and catering to passengers who are concerned about flygskam (flight shame) or the carbon footprint of short flights by providing an affordable and comparatively 'greener' transport option between the two capitals.
Tickets between London and Edinburgh will start from £14.90 on an electric, low-carbon train that will run on the East Coast Main Line with stops at Newcastle, Morpeth and Stevenage along the way. Services start on October 25 with the goal of increasing the output to 10 services per day by early next year. A typical journey will take about four hours and 30 minutes from center to center.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/new-affordable-train-service-uk?utm_campaign=article&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwAR1vhdoo_SSiR86igzpWHggvMNSF-kF2irQ70Ochmj2o-4GpZVlTA-TMddo
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| | Book Review - The Woman in the Green Dress, Tea Cooper
Another great read from Australian author Tea Cooper.
Set in NSW and London over two different periods, the mid 1800's pre WWI and just before the end of WWI from 1918 it follows the stories of Della Atterton and Fleur Richards and their lives in early settlement Australia.
I loved this one as much as the other book from this author "The Girl In The Painting" and next I have to find "The Cartographers Secret". Enjoy!
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| | Thanks for reading my newsletter.
Remember to stay safe and be kind to yourself and to others:
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